Fourth Committee Approves Two Texts Without a Vote as It Concludes General Debate on International Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
Acting without a vote today, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved a draft resolution and a draft decision, concluding its general debate on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
By the terms of the draft resolution “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space” (document A/C.4/73/L.4), the General Assembly recommends that States which have not yet become parties to the international treaties governing the uses of outer space ratify or accede to those instruments and incorporate them into their national legislation.
Further by that text, the Assembly urges all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to help prevent an arms race in outer space. It also urges the Inter-Agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities (UN-Space) to continue examining how space science and technology and their applications can contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In its other action today, the Committee approved a draft decision titled “Increase in the membership of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space” (document A/C.4/73/L.6), approving it without a vote.
By its terms, the Assembly takes note of applications by Cyprus, Ethiopia, Finland, Mauritius and Paraguay for membership in the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and in that context, decides to appoint those States as members.
As the Committee concluded its general debate, speakers called for preventing an arms race in outer space, also highlighting the issue of space debris.
Singapore’s delegate emphasized the need for steps to address increasing orbital congestion and space debris as the global space industry grows. Global norms governing responsible conduct must keep pace with developments in technology and geopolitics, he said, advocating a transparent and inclusive approach to address those changes.
However, Pakistan’s representative pointed out that emerging spacefaring nations do not possess the resources to comply fully with the Outer Space Committee’s guidelines on mitigating space debris. Advanced spacefaring countries should be willing to contribute financially to absorb additional costs incurred by developing countries in that regard, he said, emphasizing that their access to outer space should not be limited by setting excessively high technical standards.
Also speaking were representatives of Cuba and Bangladesh. The Permanent Observer for the Holy See also addressed the Committee.
The Fourth Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Friday, 26 October, to take up the University for Peace.
Statements
RAJEEL MOHSIN (Pakistan) said that defining and delimiting outer space is one of the important agenda items before the Outer Space Committee, emphasizing the need for a legally binding, consensus-based international framework. In July, he recalled, Pakistan launched a remote-sensing satellite (PRSS-1) and a technology evaluation satellite (PakTES-1A) and is considering upgrading the Institute of Space Technology to become part of the international network of regional centres affiliated with the United Nations. In that regard, Pakistan would welcome an evaluation mission from the Programme on Space Applications, he said. Regarding space debris, he pointed out that emerging spacefaring nations do not possess the financial and technological resources to comply fully with the Outer Space Committee’s Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines and called for assistance to help new entrants implement the guidelines by providing space situational awareness in conjunction assessment risk analysis systems. Advanced spacefaring countries should also be willing to contribute financially to the absorption of additional costs incurred by developing countries for spacecraft design modifications, he said, emphasizing also that they should not limit the latter’s access to outer space by setting excessively high technical standards.
TONG HAI LIM (Singapore), associating himself with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Non-Aligned Movement, called for steps to address increasing orbital congestion and space debris as the global space industry grows and the number of miniaturized satellites increases. Global norms of responsible conduct must keep pace with developments in technology and geopolitics, he said, advocating a transparent and inclusive approach to address those changes. Emphasizing that small States have a role in harnessing and promoting peaceful uses of outer space, he said that Singapore established an Office for Space Technology and Industry in 2013 to facilitate economic investments from global space companies and the development of small satellite capabilities.
HUMBERTO RIVERO ROSARIO (Cuba) said the militarization of outer space would be one of the most critical threats to humankind and appealed to the international community to prevent an arms race there. The use of space should be focused on human health, mitigating disaster and other peaceful purposes only, he emphasized, urging States to negotiate and enact a treaty preventing an arms race in outer space. Noting that it is ultimately up to the Conference on Disarmament to elaborate such an instrument, he said the draft treaty proposed by the Russian Federation and China in that forum is a good foundation for negotiations. War-mongering statements by the Government of the United States are worrying, especially the announcement of a special North American force that would ensure that country’s dominance in space for the foreseeable future, she warned. Regarding the geostationary orbit, he said it provides opportunities for access to communications and can help countries carry out medical and educational projects, emphasizing the importance of maintaining that item on the agenda. He underlined that Cuba is focusing on space research and the use of space technology applications to mitigate natural disasters, despite the harsh blockade imposed by the United States.
FAIYAZ MURSHID KAZI (Bangladesh), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, advocated a robust international legal regime to govern space activities, emphasizing that his delegation wishes to remain engaged with all relevant stakeholders in developing the Space 2030 Agenda. He called for the allocation of greater resources to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs as the prime intergovernmental platform for such discussions. Bridging the technological divide is critical in terms of realizing internationally agreed commitments, including those on climate change, he said, adding that Bangladesh reaps the benefits of using space technology to monitor climate change, among other uses. Noting the importance of collaborations on satellite communications, Earth observation systems and related technologies, he said that with the recent launch of its first satellite, Bangladesh has now joined the ranks of spacefaring nations. He acknowledged the contributions of friendly countries in making that accomplishment possible.
BERNARDITO CLEOPAS AUZA, Permanent Observer for the Holy See, said that despite some military experiments and schemes for populating outer space with weapons systems, outer space has largely been an environment used for such peaceful purposes as observation, communications and navigation. Noting the immense benefits of the global satellite positioning system, weather forecasting satellites and the Hubble Space Telescope, he said they provide insights into the structure and evolution of the universe. Outer space is a common environment and requires international cooperation to keep it universally beneficial, he said, calling for broader coordination involving more States. Turning to the issue of space collisions and debris, he said States should consider “rules of the road” that would require, when launching space vehicles, ensuring that their orbits will not conflict with existing spacecraft, and safe disposal at the end of their use. That concept should extend to the recently developed “CubeSats”, which are only 10 centimetres long, he added.
Action on Draft Resolutions
Taking up draft resolutions on outer space, the Committee heard from Rosa María Ramírez de Arellano y Haro (Mexico), Chair of the Working Group of the Whole, who reported on the proceedings within that body.
She said that, during three meetings held from 23 to 25 October, the Working Group considered three draft resolutions, agreeing on two of them with no revisions. The draft “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space” (document A/C.4/73/L.4) was agreed with one revision, she noted. Following a discussion, a proposal and counterproposal were made on operative paragraph 32, and the Group attempted to reach compromise, but finally decided to delete the paragraph from the text with a view to discussing it later in Vienna and to considering it for inclusion in a future text.
The Committee then approved the draft resolution without a vote.
The representative of Iran, speaking in explanation of position, expressed concern about the terminology contained in the text, while noting that his delegation decided to join the consensus. Emphasizing that space security or related military aspects are not within the Outer Space Committee’s purview, he said that operative paragraphs 10, 13 and 34 should therefore be interpreted accordingly.
Acting again without a vote, the Committee went on to approve a draft decision titled “Increase in the membership of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space” (document A/C.4/73/L.6).
The representative of Turkey, speaking in explanation of position, expressed pleasure over the growing interest in the Outer Space Committee’s work, as reflected in the decision. However, he noted that the government in the south of Cyprus represents Greek Cypriots and the government in the north represents Turkish Cypriots. He said that Turkey therefore dissociates itself from the text, noting that his delegation’s decision not to request a recorded vote does not represent a change in its position on that issue.
The representative of Cyprus noted that the decision enables the Outer Space Committee to continue its important work. He also expressed pleasure that the issue of increasing the Committee’s membership was finally dealt with in a non-politicized manner. However, Turkey’s statement compelled him to say that the status of his country’s government, as shaped by Security Council resolutions, is indisputable. Thus, the Republic of Cyprus is the sole legitimate government representing the whole island, he emphasized.